We're Developing a Research and Education Center in Haiti

Purpose:

To unify and empower local farmers with community, education, and research to enable their industry to flourish, while also connecting the local with the global by bringing university students, both U.S. and Haitian, to conduct courses and field research trials at the center.

Direction:

Harvest Craft is doubling down with our investment in Haiti. We are proceeding to establish our own roots and facility in-country to further invest in the development of local agricultural industries.

In partnership with Eden Reforestation

In 2018, as we were developing the HCA, we noticed a great need for reforestation and agroforestry on the property and in the surrounding area. We decided to partner with Eden Reforestation Projects (edenprojects.org), and they have since built a nursery on site. Eden Projects is propagating, distributing, and planting 80,000 - 100,000 fruit trees a year to local farmers, along watersheds in the area, and of course on-site at the HCA, so we can host agroforestry demonstration plots and research trials for the local farmers to learn how best to manage these trees.

“Education is key. It is the starting point for change, for sustainability, and for empowerment.”– Brendon Anthony, Co-Founder

Two-Fold Operation: Where Global and Local Collide

Global: Research and Training in Haiti

On site host quarterly local farmer co-op meetings, identify research priorities from the local agricultural industry, conduct research trials, showcase ecologically sound agricultural methods and provide consistent presence in the community; both relationally and educationally. Furthermore, partnerships with local Haitian universities will allow higher education and contextualized research to take place.

Local: Study Tours and Classes from the U.S.

Harvest Craft will host and facilitate classes originating from the U.S. through strategic university partnerships; bringing students down to engage in agro-development, survey the local environment, community, and agricultural industry, while being able to partake in both on-going research and hands-on education.

the location

the design

Le Chateau will be the central building on campus. It will house visiting students, scientists, and researchers. There will be living quarters, a lecture room, a discussion patio, a kitchen for cooking and nutrition classes, and endless views of the beautiful Haitian countryside. Additionally, Le Chateau is surrounded by acres and acres of arable land for agricultural projects.

Construction is underway, but we need your help to complete it!

Current Research Trials

Alternative Chicken Feed Project

What are we doing?

We've partnered with a local Haitian Non-Profit, Agrinotech, to deduce a cheaper way to feed chickens.

For years, our chicken projects have been hindered by overpriced chicken feed. In order to maximize profits for local chicken farmers, we have begun a chicken project with more than 3,000 broilers to help solve this issue.

With the help of Agrinotech, we are assessing the development of these birds while they are being administered a new chicken feed formula that comes from local crops. This forumula is way cheaper than the commercial feed, just as nutritious and even more sustainably sourced.

Our hope is to relay this information to local farmers and entrepreneurs in the feed production, processing, and poultry production industries.

What is the impact?

The project employs a half dozen of local Haitian community members, and at-risk youth.

Additionally, the broilers will be sold locally to a restaurant and will generate healthy food for the community, as well as sustainable funding to continue the research and program, while netting a profit that can be re-invested into further expanding the project and impact.

A little Gratitude...

We would like to thank the following parties for helping successfully fund this program that has led to jobs, healthy food, contextualized solutions, and local empowerment!